Meeting

After a brief celebration, Su Luo and the others proceeded with their original plan to head to the Seven Stars Sword Sect.

"So, how are you going to entertain me once we get to the Seven Stars Sword Sect?" Jiang Ningshu asked Nangong Xiyun.

"Why should I entertain you? You didn’t entertain me when I went to the Heavenly Demon Sect."

"You sneaked into the Heavenly Demon Sect—that’s different from now."

"Go wherever you like, just don’t cause trouble."

"What’s that supposed to mean? No hospitality at all?"

"Heh."

Nangong Xiyun couldn’t be bothered with Jiang Ningshu. If anyone deserved hospitality, it was Su Luo.

But Su Luo was already familiar with the Seven Stars Sword Sect, so there wasn’t much to entertain him with anyway.

Still, things might have changed somewhat since Su Luo left.

Nangong Xiyun wasn’t sure—she had never paid much attention to sect affairs before, let alone now.

But there was no point overthinking it. They’d figure it out when they arrived.

......

Meanwhile, back at the Seven Stars Sword Sect, Li Siyi trudged wearily back to her quarters after a long day of work.

Originally, she and her master were supposed to oversee the sect’s recruitment—the entrance examination for new disciples.

But as time passed, she ended up handling it alone.

This was her first time organizing something of this scale, and she wasn’t entirely familiar with all the details.

It was mentally exhausting.

And now, with her master sneaking off, it only made things worse.

Still, she persevered, and everything had gone smoothly so far.

Only one final stage of the entrance exam remained—nothing too difficult.

But just as she was about to rest, the sect leader summoned her.

She was puzzled. Why call her now? Was there an issue with the entrance exam?

As it turned out, Li Siyi wasn’t the only one summoned. Several elders, peak masters, and core disciples had also been called to the meeting hall.

The room was soon filled, and murmurs spread among the gathered members.

It had been a while since such a large meeting was convened. No one knew what the sect leader wanted to discuss.

Lin Xuan was absent—currently occupied with dealing with a reclusive clan alongside Elder Yan.

When the sect leader appeared, the chatter died down.

"Do you all know why I’ve called you here?" the sect leader asked, his tone slightly grave.

"Did we recruit some exceptional disciples?" the Yaoguang Peak Master ventured.

The entrance exam was the only major event happening lately.

Other than that, nothing else seemed significant enough to gather so many people.

But there hadn’t been any particularly outstanding candidates this time.

None could compare to Lin Xuan’s batch—the newcomers since then had always fallen slightly short.

Had they overlooked someone this time?

Still, Lin Xuan’s generation had been truly remarkable. Lin Xuan himself was a given, but Li Siyi and Little Yu were also prodigies among prodigies.

And then there was one more—Su Luo, the most exceptional of them all.

Not only was he powerful, but he was also sharp-minded.

While his strength was undeniable, what others admired most was his strategic brilliance. The downfall of the Heavenly Demon Sect owed much to Su Luo’s covert assistance.

The sect leader shook his head. This wasn’t about the entrance exam.

"Then… is someone important visiting our sect soon?" a core disciple suggested.

The dissolution of the Heavenly Demon Sect had elevated the Seven Stars Sword Sect’s reputation even further.

Naturally, many sought to pay their respects.

Again, the sect leader shook his head.

"Sect Leader, just tell us. It’s not bad news, is it?"

Some were growing impatient, and the sect leader’s expression didn’t seem promising.

Surely, after just dismantling the Heavenly Demon Sect, another crisis couldn’t be looming already?

"You all know Su Luo, correct?"

At the mention of Su Luo, smiles spread across the room.

"Of course! Thanks to him, we avoided countless losses."

"Exactly! The Heavenly Demon Sect is gone—why hasn’t he returned yet?"

"Su Luo… Honestly, without his intelligence, I might not be alive today."

Initially, many elders and peak masters had barely known Su Luo, having rarely interacted with him.

During his time at the sect, Su Luo had mostly been known for his bad reputation, so they hadn’t paid him much attention.

When they first learned of him, it was only as a spy infiltrating the Heavenly Demon Sect, relaying critical information.

At first, the peak masters and elders hadn’t thought much of it.

But every piece of intelligence Su Luo sent back proved invaluable.

Without it, the Seven Stars Sword Sect would have suffered heavy casualties, and the cultivation world would have been thrown into chaos by the Heavenly Demon Sect.

Gradually, they came to recognize Su Luo’s worth.

They were deeply grateful—having someone like him in their sect was a blessing.

Yet, for some reason, Su Luo hadn’t reappeared, so his true role as a spy hadn’t been publicly revealed.

As for the younger core disciples, their admiration for Su Luo ran even deeper.

Though of the same generation, his foresight and actions far surpassed his peers.

They often asked themselves—could they have given up their prestigious status to infiltrate a notorious sect as a spy?

The answer was hesitant at best.

And that hesitation spoke volumes.

Xie Feiran sighed at the mention of Su Luo.

Back then, ignorant of the truth, he had looked down on Su Luo.

But once he understood Su Luo’s intentions, he was utterly awed.

"Su Luo… I even acted alongside him in a few scenes," Xie Feiran mused.

"Same here! I was there too, you know."

"Honestly, Su Luo’s acting could be pretty casual sometimes—unlike us, who took it so seriously."

The core disciples took pride in Su Luo.

Having interacted with him far more than the elders, their discussions about him were far livelier.

The mere mention of Su Luo lightened the mood in the meeting hall.

"Ah…"

But the sect leader’s sigh silenced the room once more.

Seeing their cheerful reactions only deepened his concern.

"What’s wrong, Sect Leader?"

The sect leader finally explained, "Recently, I received troubling news. Someone is attempting to rebuild the Heavenly Demon Sect—and the leader is said to be Su Luo."

This was the reason for his distress.

He wanted to believe in Su Luo, but the facts were hard to ignore.

He couldn’t fathom why Su Luo would do this—was it possible that his time in the Heavenly Demon Sect had corrupted him?

A heavy silence fell before erupting into murmurs.

"That can’t be right. There must be some misunderstanding!"

"Exactly! Why would Su Luo rebuild the Heavenly Demon Sect?"

"Maybe the information is wrong. I refuse to believe Su Luo would do such a thing."

The sect leader spoke again, "This is precisely why I called you all here. You don’t believe it—and neither do I."

"So, Li Siyi, do you know what Su Luo is thinking? Why would he want to rebuild the Heavenly Demon Sect?"

All eyes turned to Li Siyi.

It was no secret here that Li Siyi had feelings for Su Luo.

Moreover, Su Luo had often relayed messages exclusively to her—proof enough of their close relationship.

This perception was partly thanks to Lin Xuan, who had spread rumors within their circle about Su Luo and Li Siyi being mutually infatuated.

From Lin Xuan’s perspective, the two had always worked together seamlessly.